


A Crumbling Eden

by Nicxan



Category: Rusty Lake | Cube Escape (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, I GOT THE IDEA DOWN AND THAT IS THE IMPORTANT PART, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 17:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19728802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicxan/pseuds/Nicxan
Summary: Paradise wasn't the beauty it once was -- and it hurt Mr. Owl to see it in its state.





	A Crumbling Eden

Paradise had fallen from grace.

It was dead silent when he arrived – not a bird call, not a single person’s voice. Even the crickets remained silent, allowing the quiet to completely consume the island.

The brush was overgrown, partially covering the wooden gate the Eilander family had built together. Some personal belongings that he didn’t recognize were scattered on the shore of the island. A look inside showed that nature had all but taken over – the spire Nicholas had retreated to often was crumbling, overtaken by vines. Their home, where Margaret used to cook, had clearly been ravaged by nature. The roof had caved in, and anything inside had been reduced to rubble. 

The shrine past the forest looked even worse for wear. Bits and pieces of the wooden owl were scattered around it, and the shrine itself didn’t even have the golden cube hanging above the well anymore. The well itself was blocked off by stone. 

Mr. Owl’s heart felt heavy looking on. He had … less than fond memories of this place, of course. But this used to be a proud structure for the lake, a place where they could honor her as she should be honored. A place that was a refuge, when his mother needed to be away from the others. Everything else was sad – but _this_ , by itself, was a tragedy.

“What a shame,” he heard Aldous say from nearby. Aldous kicked one of the rocks away, stepping up to Mr. Owl’s side. “From what you described, it was beautiful. But it doesn’t seem to be that way anymore.”

“Apparently not,” Mr. Owl whispered. No, it wasn’t as beautiful as it had once been. He had known before – the lake had warned him of the state of his island – but he didn’t know it was this bad. How long had everyone been gone?

Mr. Owl’s eyes narrowed, and he felt some of his feathers push against the collar of his shirt. Just thinking about how quickly they must have abandoned home – it made him seethe. He clicked his beak, swiveling his head towards Aldous.

“If they truly treasured the lake as they said, why would they leave the spot where they were closest to her?” 

“From what you’ve told me, they never had her best interests in mind. Only their own.” Aldous shook his head. “They never truly listened to her, did they?”  
  
Mr. Owl considered this for a moment.  
  
“They did, once,” he eventually replied. “Paradise wouldn’t exist without great sacrifices. Nicholas told me that before, and I took it to heart. He did too, once. I feel they simply lost their way, grew selfish.” Mr. Owl chuckled sardonically. “Perhaps she no longer had need of them, once they could no longer give her what she wanted. Banished from Eden.”  
  
“Ah.” Aldous said nothing more, and simply looked on. Mr. Owl turned his head to take one last, long look at the beach.  
  
The lake shone beautifully. The sun cast its rays on the water, letting her dance and shimmer in the daylight. There was nothing between them and her, except for the rubble of a family long gone. She surrounded this island, blessing it with her mere presence. Everywhere one would look, she would be there.  
  
The memories they could farm for her, and so easily return to her ...  
  
Mr. Owl looked to Aldous again, with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
“It would be a waste to let Paradise go completely.” Aldous nodded in silent agreement. “I will find another use for this place. I won’t let it stay like this when it can be of service to the lake.”  
  
The two turned their backs on the broken shrine, and began to make their way to the gate. They strode through the forest without pause, only offering a glance at the pile that used to be a house. For a moment, Mr. Owl’s heart ached - that was where Margaret would cook some of his favorite things as a child, where Caroline would help him with pottery-making ...  
  
All of those memories in one little place, on one little island, reduced to rubble. Mr. Owl shook his head, and then hurried to catch up with Aldous, who was waiting for him at the gate.  
  
Aldous gently pushed their rowboat into the water, taking great care to not get his shoes wet, and climbed in. Mr. Owl followed suit.  
  
It took some time to get the oars set up properly, but before too long, Aldous had started to row back to the mainland. Mr. Owl stared out at the horizon, hands in his lap, ear tufts upright. As much as Mr. Owl wanted to say something, to plot, something told him to remain quiet; that if he remained quiet, he would learn something valuable.  
  
A few moments later, Mr. Owl was rewarded with the hint of a whisper -- the softest voice behind the slight wind. A faint instruction from the rippling waves. Mr. Owl’s eyes twinkled when he looked over to his partner again.  
  
“Rusty Lake doesn’t have an inn, if I remember correctly. It’s a shameful oversight.”  
  
Aldous perked up, and then shook his head. Mr. Owl could see a hint of a smile on his face - a rarity in of itself.  
  
“It is.”  
  
“I’ll look into fixing it,” Mr. Owl continued. “People need a place to get away. To empty the mind for a while, to help themselves. And what better place to do it than here?”  
  
His next instruction was clear -- and he would have to start as soon as possible. For now, though, Mr. Owl let himself enjoy the trip back to the mainland.


End file.
